Former Senegalese President Macky Sall announced on Saturday, October 17, 2026, his withdrawal of his candidacy for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
In a statement released from Marrakech, the former head of state said he wants to promote an international consensus. This announcement follows the vote held on October 16, 2026, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Sall said that he made this decision with a profound sense of institutional responsibility, and that various consultations and indicative votes held within the Security Council revealed, from the outset, a preference for a candidate from the Latin America and Caribbean region – possibly a woman.
In his written statement, the former head of state said his initiative was motivated by his desire to put nearly forty years of experience in public life at the service of multilateral governance. He expressed his gratitude to the heads of state who supported him in this endeavor, particularly acknowledging the sponsorship of Évariste Ndayishimiye and the support provided by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. He also thanked the member states of the Security Council who gave him their votes during the consultations.
Macky Sall thanked his campaign team, religious and traditional authorities, as well as all Senegalese citizens, political actors and representatives of civil society, in Africa and elsewhere in the world, who mobilized around his candidacy.
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The continent, Sall said, must continue to make its voice heard and advocate for more equitable representation within international bodies, and needs to strengthen its role in global governance.
The former president concluded his statement by expressing his best wishes for success to the person who will succeed António Guterres as head of the United Nations.
